The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-02
THE SF.L.,I.M.lND S.R.R.
WILL REACH MEMPHIS sOME
TINE IN NAY.
An Interesting Interview With Mr.,
Be- s. Gheatham, an Engineer In
the Construction OF the Road.

Mr.. T. g. Chesthsm, one of the en-.
eineers engaged in the construction Of
the Memphis branch OF the ST. Louis
Iron Mountain and Southern railroad
arrived in the city yester isy, ant
was interviewed by an APPEAL re
porter as 10 the progress OF the work
"How long will ii be before you
reach Memphisf' was the first ques
hon asked.
Some time In May"
"How many men are engaged II
pushing the work."
About 1900"
elbow many miles have beer
sYadedr
"Abou. seventy five miles of the
ninety three TO be traversed from Bale
Knob to West Memphis"
"How many miles Of track have
been laidf"
"Twenty.six miles. From BALD
Knob to Augusta, eleven miles. There
We are constructing an iron draw
bridge over White river. The ap
proaches nre pile driven and two spani
oil ABOUT JUO ibeb ttCu
From L'Anguille river to VIM
Station on tho Helena branch eight
miles OF track have been put down
From Winn Station, crossing Grow.
ley's Ridge, il strikes St. Francis River
bay, where u second iron bridge Is in
eour.e OF construction. This is not Q
draw bridgs bat an a6utment bridge
and will be about 700 feet long, and
about Fix feet above high water
There ia no navigation on this bay
hence no draw bridge was neces
sary The distance from Winn Sta
ton b. the bay is seven miles and Il
covered with steel rails, 10 are all the
other tracks men i)ned."
will not the work increase in difi
sulty after leaving the bay bridge2"
ut undoubtedly will Alter leav
ing the bay bridge we find the heav
lest work along the entire line. Aitei
leaving the bay we 90 seven miles Il
the 81. Francis river through o stretch
OF black, maishy soil, half Of which
will require bridging and half dir
work"
How about the grade in these low
p'acesi"
"They are all three feet above tn,
highest known water mark, requiring
an embAnkment ranging from d. teeI
to w enty feet"
"Will there be q bridge over 81
Francis river, and II 60 at wha
psintT
Eyes, q drswbrIdge, at a point abou
Ten miles from WIttsburg. Ii will b
an iron drawbridge."
"Aiter leaving St. Francis river will
the work diminish In difficulty 7"
"Not until We pass Black Fsl
swamp, seventy-eiyht miles from
which point We have plain sailn
through an open country, teemin
with fertile farms and through settle
mentH, among others the pTosperou
town a Orawfordsyille, which is sbou
fifteen miles west OF Memphis."
as there any timber along the lin
OF the rosdf"
IAN abundance and fine variety o
timber from VIM Station to IVES
Memphis, consisting Of oak, cypress
gun, asb walnut aud Others"
HAS the incline at West Memphi
beeu located2"
at has, at a point little north G
she Kansas City incline"
= "Whatare the staple products RAISE
along the lice Of the road2
''Cotlon and corn, and at Bald KnQ
shere sre tbs iiutst rockquarries II
Arksnsas."
"Do you think the new road vii
prove a valuabe feeder to Memphisp
"Wthout question, and IL is hkel
that extensions beyond Bald Knob il
new territory, through Northwestern
AskaDtas will ALEC b nett Memphis
A preliminary survey has been mad
from Bald Knob to Carthage, Mo,
distance Of $50 miles, and t0is r adj,
bait, wilt biug Memphis nearer Il
Kauaas City than now, aud will ope
up to her enterprise fac grain az,
fruit growing country."